Amazon inks multibillion-dollar optical manufacturing deal with Corning
Amazon.com Inc. is partnering with glass manufacturer Corning Inc. to make optical network components for its data centers.
The cloud and retail giant stated today that the deal is worth several billion dollars. Corning will use some of the funds to expand its factories in North Carolina. According to the company, the upgrades will create 1,000 manufacturing jobs and several hundred construction positions.
Shares of Corning closed 5.4% higher on the news.
Corning is a major supplier of fiber-optic cables for data centers. It makes riser cables, which are used to link together the different floors of a data center, and plenum cables optimized for server rooms. The company’s cables ship with specialized jackets that don’t release toxic materials when they come into contact with a flame or water. That helps reduce safety risks in the event of data center malfunctions such as short circuits.
